How to Stop Northstar Location Services Debt Collection Harassment
If Northstar Location Services has been calling you repeatedly, sending letters with confusing balance information, or contacting people in your life about your debt, something worth knowing upfront: between 2017 and 2018, the company faced nine separate federal lawsuits. Five of them alleged the same thing – that their collection letters failed to disclose whether a stated balance would increase due to interest or fees.
That pattern matters whether or not you have experienced harassment directly. It tells you something specific about how this company operates and what to look for in anything they have sent you.
If Northstar Location Services has violated your rights, you may recover up to $1,000 in statutory damages plus attorney fees. Call +1 844-638-1122 to discuss your situation with The Wood Firm PPLC.
What Is Northstar Location Services
Northstar Location Services, LLC is a debt collection agency headquartered in Cheektowaga, New York, with an additional office in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. They have operated for nearly two decades and offer both first-party collections (early-stage debt, while the account is still with the original creditor) and third-party collections (delinquent debt purchased from or assigned by creditors after charge-off).
Their name reflects a service most consumers do not expect from a debt collector: skip tracing – locating debtors who have moved or become unreachable. If Northstar contacted you and you are not sure how they found you, skip tracing is likely the answer.
The company markets itself as technology-driven and client-focused, with a secure 24/7 online account portal and integration with the Relief app for simplified debt settlement. Payments can also be made directly through their website.
Contact information:
- Phone: (716) 817-6770 or (877) 630-6700
- Email: [email protected]
- Numbers reported by consumers: (866) 224-9824, (877) 682-2671, (888) 820-0961, (888) 820-0963, (888) 820-0964, (888) 820-0968, (888) 820-0969
Is Northstar Location Services Legitimate or a Scam
Northstar Location Services is a legitimate, registered debt collection agency – not a scam. However, they are not BBB accredited. The BBB has logged at least 44 complaints against them, frequently citing aggressive tactics, misleading statements, and threatening behavior. That complaint volume against an unaccredited company is worth keeping in mind when evaluating their communications.
Being legitimate does not mean their collection practices are always legal. Their court record between 2013 and 2018 spans multiple jurisdictions and reveals consistent patterns – particularly around how they communicate debt amounts in writing. If you have received a letter from Northstar and something about the balance felt unclear or the terms seemed incomplete, that instinct aligns directly with documented litigation.
Northstar Location Services Reviews and Complaints
Consumer complaints and BBB reports consistently describe the same experiences: excessive call volume, calls outside permitted hours, contact with family members or employers, and collection letters that do not clearly explain whether the balance can increase.
That last complaint – confusing letters – is not just a consumer gripe. It is the core allegation in five separate 2017 federal lawsuits. When five independent cases in the same year allege the same documentation failure, it reflects a systemic practice rather than an isolated incident. If you are reviewing a Northstar letter right now and cannot determine whether your balance is fixed or growing, you are encountering the exact issue those courts examined.
Who Does Northstar Location Services Collect For
Northstar works with creditors across financial services, telecommunications, and other consumer sectors. Because they offer both first-party and third-party collection, they may be contacting you either on behalf of your original creditor (early-stage) or as a collector pursuing a delinquent account that may have already changed hands.
The distinction matters. In a third-party context, the debt may have been purchased – meaning Northstar has a financial interest in collecting as much as possible, which creates different incentives than simply collecting for a creditor they represent. If you do not recognize the creditor Northstar is referencing, or if the amount does not match your records, request written validation before engaging.
Northstar Location Services Lawsuits – The Pattern in the Court Record
Northstar’s litigation history is unusually concentrated – thirteen documented federal cases, with nine falling between 2017 and 2018. The 2017 cluster reveals a specific, recurring problem with their collection letters.
The 2017 fee disclosure cases – five separate proposed class actions filed in the same year – all alleged the same fundamental failure:
- Gavrialov v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2017): Alleged failure to disclose whether the stated balance would increase due to interest or fees.
- Koulouris v. NorthStar Location Services, LLC (2017): Claimed the company failed to indicate whether a stated balance was static or would accrue additional charges.
- Leifer v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2017): Alleged a collection letter failed to clearly communicate the total amount of debt owed.
- Vouvounas v. NorthStar Location Services, LLC (2017): Proposed class action claiming misleading letters with no safe harbor language disclosing whether the balance could grow.
- Ross v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2017): Alleged abusive, deceptive, and unfair collection practices.
What this cluster tells you practically: if you received a collection letter from Northstar and paid an amount you believed settled the account, only to find the balance had grown due to undisclosed interest or fees, that is not an accident. It is a documented pattern with specific legal precedent.
The 2018 cases extended the record with broader deceptive practice allegations:
- Diaz v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2018): Class action alleging misleading and unfair means to collect debt.
- Quinn v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2018): Alleged false, deceptive, and misleading representations in collection efforts.
- Ungar v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2018): Class action regarding unlawful, deceptive practices.
- Feldman v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2018): Alleged deceptive and unconscionable means to collect a debt.
- Gvarliani v. Northstar Location Services, LLC (2018): Class action filed in New Jersey regarding alleged FDCPA violations.
- Carter v. Northstar – EFTA case (2018): Involving allegations of Electronic Fund Transfer Act violations alongside FDCPA claims.
Earlier cases on record: Velas (2013, W.D. New York), Danaher (2013, D. Nevada), Smith (2011, C.D. Illinois), Maloney (2010), Crowe (2013), Taylor (2011), Harris (2017).
Does Northstar Location Services Pay for Delete
Northstar does not publicly advertise a pay-for-delete policy. However, it is negotiable on a case-by-case basis, and the condition of settlement is something to establish in writing before any payment. Make deletion from all three credit bureaus an explicit term of any written settlement agreement. Do not pay first and ask about deletion afterward.
Given the fee disclosure failures documented in the 2017 class actions, a pay-for-delete negotiation is also an opportunity to confirm in writing exactly what balance is being settled and that no additional interest or fees can be claimed after settlement.
How Aggressive Is Northstar Location Services
Consumer complaints and CFPB reports describe a pattern of high call frequency – multiple calls daily, calls outside permitted hours, and contact with third parties, including employers and family members. Their skip tracing capability means they are better positioned than most collectors to locate you if you have moved, changed numbers, or become difficult to reach through standard channels.
The 2017-2018 lawsuit cluster involving nine federal cases in two years suggests systemic patterns rather than individual collector misconduct. A company generating that volume of litigation in that compressed timeframe is not experiencing random compliance failures – it reflects how collections were being run.
If Northstar has already been aggressive in your situation, that pattern is legally actionable. Document every contact with dates, times, and exactly what was said. The TCPA also provides separate remedies if they used automated dialing systems or prerecorded messages without your consent.
- Document every contact first. Date, time, phone number, name of the representative, and exactly what was said – especially anything that sounds like a threat, a deadline, or a claim about legal action. Your log is your evidence.
- Request debt validation in writing. Send a certified letter within 30 days of first contact. Northstar must provide proof of the debt, the original creditor’s name, and the exact amount owed, including confirmation of whether the balance is fixed or subject to increase. That last point is not a minor detail given their litigation history.
- Send a cease-and-desist if calls continue. Via certified mail with return receipt. Once received, any contact other than confirming cessation or notifying you of legal action may constitute a separate FDCPA violation.
- If you have an attorney, notify Northstar in writing immediately. Under the FDCPA, once a collector knows you have legal representation, direct contact with you must stop.
Contact The Wood Firm PPLC at +1 844-638-1122 if harassment continues.
Does Northstar Location Services Sue Consumers
Yes – Northstar can sue you if the debt is within your state’s statute of limitations, typically three to six years, depending on the debt type and state. Before responding to any legal threat, verify whether the debt is within that window.
They cannot garnish your wages without first obtaining a court judgment. Threatening garnishment without a judgment may violate the FDCPA. Any arrest threat is a documented FDCPA violation – no consumer can be arrested for unpaid consumer debt.
Where Is Northstar Location Services Located
Northstar Location Services is headquartered at its Cheektowaga, New York, offices, with a second location in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. Their Canadian presence is relevant if you are wondering why a collection agency based near Buffalo is contacting you – they operate across the U.S.-Canada border and serve clients in both countries.
Correspondence should be directed to their Cheektowaga, NY address.
How The Wood Firm PPLC Stops Northstar Location Services
Northstar’s concentrated 2017-2018 litigation record gives us specific angles to investigate from the start – particularly their letters. The fee disclosure failures alleged across five cases in one year mean that any letter they sent you is worth examining for whether the balance was clearly communicated and whether interest or fee accrual was disclosed.
When you contact us, we review every communication Northstar sent, send legal notice immediately, and pursue compensation for every documented violation. Calls typically stop within 48 hours of legal notice.
You pay nothing unless we win. If we prevail, Northstar pays the attorney fees.
Call +1 844-638-1122 for a free consultation. Consumers dealing with similar collection letter violations have recovered statutory damages without any out-of-pocket cost.
About Attorney Jeff Wood
Jeff Wood is an attorney based in Arkansas with over 15 years of experience in consumer protection, focusing on FDCPA, FCRA, and TCPA violations. The Wood Firm PPLC maintains Of Counsel relationships with attorneys licensed in Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions About Northstar Location Services
How aggressive is Northstar Location Services?
Consumer complaints describe multiple daily calls, contact outside permitted hours, and third-party disclosure to employers and family members. Their skip tracing capability means they are better equipped than most collectors to locate you if you have changed numbers or moved. Their nine federal lawsuits in two years reflects systemic practices rather than isolated incidents. If their contact has already felt aggressive, document everything – the pattern is legally actionable.
What is Northstar Location Services and are they legitimate?
Northstar Location Services is a real, registered debt collection agency based in Cheektowaga, New York, in operation for nearly two decades. They also offer skip tracing – locating consumers who have moved. They are legitimate, but they are not BBB accredited, carry 44 BBB complaints, and have faced thirteen federal lawsuits including nine between 2017 and 2018.
Why does Northstar Location Services keep calling me?
They are attempting to collect a debt on behalf of a creditor or a debt buyer. Because they offer first-party collection (early-stage debt still with the original creditor) and third-party collection (purchased or assigned delinquent accounts), the debt they are pursuing may still be with your original creditor or may have changed hands. If you do not recognize the creditor or the amount, request written validation before engaging.
What is Northstar Location Services’ phone number?
Their primary numbers are (716) 817-6770 and (877) 630-6700. Their email is [email protected]. Consumer-reported numbers include (866) 224-9824, (877) 682-2671, and multiple 888-820-XXXX variants (0961, 0963, 0964, 0968, 0969). If a number not on this list is calling you about a debt, request written verification before assuming it is not Northstar.
What were the Northstar Location Services lawsuits about?
Between 2017 and 2018, Northstar faced nine federal lawsuits. Five in 2017 alone alleged that their collection letters failed to disclose whether the stated balance would increase due to interest or fees – a specific FDCPA requirement. The 2018 cases alleged broader deceptive and misleading collection practices.
Does Northstar Location Services do pay for delete?
There is no public policy, but deletion is negotiable as a condition of settlement. Get it in writing before paying – specifying removal from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Also confirm in writing that the settled balance is final and no further fees can be claimed.
Can Northstar Location Services sue me?
Yes, if the debt is within your state’s statute of limitations. Verify whether the debt is within that window before responding to any legal threat. They cannot garnish wages without a court judgment, and they cannot have you arrested for consumer debt.
How do I get Northstar Location Services to stop calling me?
Send a written cease-and-desist letter via certified mail with return receipt. After receipt, they may only contact you to confirm cessation or notify you of specific legal action. Contact +1 844-638-1122 if calls continue after your request is received.
What should I look for in a Northstar Location Services letter?
Check whether the letter clearly states the total amount owed and whether that balance is static or subject to increase due to interest or fees. Five separate 2017 federal lawsuits alleged Northstar failed to make this disclosure. If your letter is unclear on this point, it may contain the same defect.
